Summertime brings the onset of sweet, succulent melons, and one of our family’s favorite recipes is this surprisingly fresh tasting Spaghetti with Melon pasta.  Pasta with melon might sound like an unlikely combination, but this dish is REALLY good.  While on our European extravaganza trip, we stopped off to visit our friends Mike Yourison and Dr. Suzy Steelman in Umbria.  They were kind enough to invite us to stay at their beautiful hilltop home, so the least we could do was to make dinner.  They graciously accepted and thought it would be nice to invite a few of their Italian friends.  We ended up having a wonderful evening with 15 people in attendance.

Giuliano thought it would be fun to make this dish and have the Italians guess what was in it.  Many thought of squash due to the color, a couple thought pineapple and we had one person who guessed strawberry.  After numerous tries, someone finally came up with the correct answer.

The origins of this dish are unknown.  Giuliano found it when he went to a restaurant in Venice that specialized in unusual dishes, none of which were seafood or risotto, the staples of Venetian cuisine.  Although the restaurant is no longer there he did remember this delicious dish of pasta with cantaloupe.  Marcella started making it at home and now Giuliano often makes it when we have friends over.  Once it is cooked, the melon is mostly unrecognizable and it’s great fun seeing if people can guess what the sauce’s “secret” ingredient is.  The freshness of the dish is soothing on a hot evening and takes full advantage of the bounty of summer.

Giuliano made this dish for a TV segment he did.  This Spaghetti with melon pasta on Daytime TV video shows you exactly how to make this lovely pasta.  As in Umbria, not a bit was left in the bowl.

Spring has sprung and  one of our favorite dishes to make with all of the wonderful spring bounty that is to be had in the farmer’s markets is Spaghetti alla Norma. In Sarasota, Florida, where we live, there are 7 farmer’s markets where vendors of fruits and vegetables, fresh gulf fish, and even a traveling crepérie ply their wares and there are some fabulous foodie finds.  Many of those with stands have only recently become produce farmers.   Recently I met someone whose family had been sod farmers, I was amazed to learn that due to the downturn in the economy her family has turned to growing fabulous vegetables and flowers. They were able to use the Obama administration stimulus money to assist them in diversifying their crops and making their land create income.  Like many who go to the farmer’s markets, when we go it is part shopping expedition and part amusement park visit.  We almost always find unplanned gems that we must purchase, and then wonder what we will do with them when we get them home.

One of the dishes we’ve made with the bounty of vegetables we’ve bought at the farmer’s market is Pasta alla Norma.  This is a recipe we have taught in our home cooking class and is delicious.  This dish was named after Vincenzo Bellini’s opera, Norma.  It is a typical Sicilian pasta recipe, flavorful, fresh, and even vegetarian.  It is exceptional with fresh farmer’s market produce.

Pesto is a fresh tasting burst of spring in the mouth. Although in Florida basil can be grown throughout the year, our family doesn’t have green thumbs. In Spring basil plants are readily available at farmer’s markets and cheaper than purchasing the already cut stems. The beauty of pesto is that it is easily freezable which makes it available at anytime. But to me, it is the quintessential spring dish. We tend to eat it in the traditional manner, just the pasta with a few boiled green beans and sliced potatoes and would make a great primo, first dish, during an Easter Feast. For this recipe I made it with dried spaghetti, but it is also wonderful with homemade potato gnocchi, maccheroni alla chitarra (square spaghetti), spaghettini, linguine, and the classic trenette, narrow fettuccine. Easy to put together, it is one of the recipes that the children and I make when Giuliano is traveling. It only takes as much time to prepare as the water takes to boil for the pasta.

The word pesto means “to mash” because originally the ingredients were painstakingly hand processed with a mortar and pestle. Fortunately, since the invention of the food processor, the excruciatingly slow process has become quick and easy. The dish is synonymous with one of my favorite Italian regions, Liguria. Although not on Americans’ traditional Italian itinerary, Liguria is a must visit area. The “fantasy in green” as pesto has been called, when eaten from the local tiny fragrant sweet basil takes on extraordinary undertones that are impossible to replicate.

Porto Venere

Liguria is often called the Italian rivera. It is known as an area of relaxation, luxury, and delectable food. Brightly painted towns nestle in the crevices of cliffs that abut the sea. The five cities of the Cinque Terre, are easily accessible by train or by a beautiful walking path; no cars are allowed. We were fortunate to stay in Rapallo one summer and spent the time exploring and eating our way through remote villages. One of our favorite restaurants became Ü Giancu, an incredible place in San Massimo a hamlet near Rapallo. Known for its Ligurian specialities it is also a destination for anyone interested in the art of cartoons. Hanging on its walls are original drawings from some of the world’s most celebrated cartoonists. Going to the restaurant serves a feast for both the stomach and the eyes as one can see works by Dik and Chris Browne, Hank Ketcham, Luciano Bottaro, Gary Trudeau, Milton Caniff, Will Eisner; and many, many others. A small mountain road that fits only tiny European cars hugs the mountain side.

U Giancu restaurant

Of course, what we Americans would consider a path, is a two lane road that at night has no lights. Italians regularly speed around the turns making for a hair raising drive to and from the restaurant. The drive gets the gestational juices flowing for the meal that awaits. Seasonal delicacies fill the plates and we recommend going with a group so you can have a variety of dishes.

Portofino

Pesto is also a dish that can made by children. Recently our oldest, twelve-year old Gabriella, had a sleepover. The girls had a wonderful time creating a full multi-course Italian meal for us. They shooed us away from the kitchen and did everything themselves. This was the dish that they created as their primo. After a wonderful meal we were all satiated, it was only then that they presented their surprising bill, instead of payment, they asked that we clean up…

 

Recipe: Basil Pesto

Summary: Classic Italian Pesto, HOW TO COOK ITALIAN by Giuliano Hazan

Ingredients

1. 1 1/3 cups fresh basil leaves
2. 1 small garlic clove
3. 1/4 cup pine nuts
4. 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
5. 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
6. 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
7. 3 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano
8. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter
9. 1 pound of dried pasta

Instructions

1. Rinse the basil leaves and spin dry. Peel the garlic and place it with the basil, pine nuts, salt, and olive oil in a food processor. Run the processor until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Transfer the contents to a mixing bowl and mix in the grated cheeses with a spoon or rubber spatula.
2. While the pasta you will serve with the pesto is cooking, ad 2 tablespoons of the pasta water and the butter to the pesto and mix well. When the pasta is done, toss it with the pesto and serve at once.

Quick Notes

Pesto can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 3 months. After adding the cheeses, place the pesto in a freezer container and coat the surface with olive oil before sealing and placing in the freezer. Defrost before adding the pasta water and butter. It is advisable not to use a metal pan.

Cooking time (duration): 15

Diet type: Vegetarian

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Italian

Like many wives I periodically expect my husband to do the impossible – read my mind.  Although not always telepathic, Giuliano hit the ball out of the park for my birthday.  He knows my favorite dish is his lasagne bolegnese and that was his unexpected, but greatly appreciated gift to me this year.

A few weeks before, my girls asked me what I wanted for my birthday.  Specifically, they wanted to know if I wanted a party.  Like all good moms, I said, “Anything you make will please me”.  However, 7-year-old Michela, who adores making lists, came back and asked me whom I wanted at my party.  I told them, within hearing distance of my husband, that this year I didn’t want to think about it.  I wanted them to come up with and execute (yes, I really used that word) the entire project.

I have a confession to make.  Birthdays are a BIG deal to me.  Growing up, my parents meant well but because my birthday is so close to winter vacation, I often was told, “Oh, we are traveling to (insert name of city to visit family members here), or going to see (insert name of play I didn’t choose or great place I didn’t care about, or fancy restaurant here) and that will be your birthday present.  It wasn’t that they were forgetful nor that they weren’t generous.  The trips were great and the dinners spectacular, but they never occurred on the exact DATE of my birth and often seemed an afterthought, something that we would be doing anyway, and my birthday just coincided.  Yes… it is a whine that has stayed with me and even as I’ve grown older, it grates.  Not wishing to repeat my growing up experiences, I tend to throw my children overly lavish parties.

Now that you know my baggage, you will understand that giving up control of my birthday was a big deal.  However, I did want to mature, I was turning 45 after all, and I was thrilled that my kids, aged of 7 and 11, wanted to do something that didn’t necessarily revolve around themselves.  I tried not to give my birthday any more thought.

During the week before my birthday, both the kids and Giuliano acted completely normal.  At one point Giuliano said, “I’ve made arrangements with Cynthia to watch the kids on your birthday night, a Thursday, so we can go out”.  “Oh”, I thought, “that is generous of her and it will be nice to have a date night as we haven’t had one in awhile”.  Giuliano went on to say that the next night, Friday, we would celebrate my birthday with the kids.  It all sounded lovely and low key, a perfectly fine way to celebrate.  Later he asked which kind of lasagne he should make, mushroom or meat.  I told him I preferred meat lasagne and he said he would make it for the evening when we celebrated with the kids.  What more could I ask for or want?

Lasagne, the Italian plural of lasagna which refers to just one sheet of pasta, is now one of my favorite foods.  Before I met Giuliano I had experienced what I thought was lasagna and although I enjoyed the taste, it didn’t leave a fabulous impression.  You know the lasagnas of which I speak, those heavy things that rest in the pit of your stomach for days after eating.  The first time I had Giuliano’s lasagne was at a family celebration.  His father Victor adores green lasagne and Giuliano had made it.  It was nothing like what I had experienced before. True Bolognese lasagne is light, almost airy.  It is a savory concoction, with each creamy bite melting in your mouth.  It must be made with homemade egg noodles and there is NO ricotta to be found in any of the Hazan’s recipes.

Lasagne makers are often judged on how many layers than can create.  Five or six layers are considered the minimum for acceptability.  Ooh’s and ahh’s occur the higher they go.  For my birthday celebration, Giuliano created a spectacular 9-layer lasagne!

Thursday, the day of my birthday, arrived with great fanfare.  My children had created beautiful homemade cards that I proudly now display in my office.  My husband, who knew I wanted an easy point-and-shoot purse sized camera, bought me an iPhone because the camera is just as good as most point-and-shoots. I can see most of you wives smiling, as you understand the rationalization.  During the day I received a notice from the post office that a package had arrived from my “computer” friend Jamie, author of Life’s a Feast.  I also received great cards from friends and relatives.  My in-laws sent me a bouquet of beautiful peonies, and I was truly overwhelmed by the amount of Facebook and twitter kudos.  Thank you to all who participated.  Early that evening the girls got themselves ready and soon we were off to our friends’ house to drop them off.

When we arrived, the only person there was the housekeeper.  Both of our friends are physicians and often put in long hours, so I didn’t think that anything was unusual.  However, Michela ran off and I thought she was looking for her friend, so I admonished her to “listen” and ask “permission” from the housekeeper to explore.  Just as I was disciplining her, out from the hallway came our friends wishing me happy birthday!  I was so surprised I was speechless!  I later learned that Michela, who is known for telling me the endings of movies she has yet to see, not only knew of the surprise party, she had told everyone in her class and in her after school activities about it.  However, she amazingly had kept the secret from me. Giuliano had also invited another couple I am good friends with and I

was thrilled.  The evening began with Prosecco, and had a finale of a cake that our friends had made with help from our children!  Of course, the pièce de resistance was the lasagne, perfectly crispy on the top and soft and creamy inside. I teared up – the evening was perfect.

Below is Giuliano’s recipe for the lasagne he made and videos showing how to make the homemade pasta for it.  That evening, I think Giuliano made three times the recipe, enough, we thought, for a small army.  It was so tasty and delicious that even the kids had thirds.  So don’t expect any leftovers!

Lasagne alla Bolognese

(from How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan)

Preparation time:  1 hour and 25 minutes

Total time from start to finish:  5 hours

Serves 6

Classic Bolognese Meat Sauce

Green or regular Egg Pasta of Emilia Romagna, made with 2 eggs and 1 1/2 cups flour

Béchamel sauce

Salt

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon butter

1.  Make the Bolognese sauce.

2.  Make the pasta dough, wrap it in plastic and set aside to rest.

3.  Make the béchamel sauce.

4.  Fill a pot for the pasta with at least 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil

5.  Roll out the pasta dough according to the directions.  Cut the pasta sheets so you have a total of 8 pieces.  Fill a medium bowl halfway with ice water and keep it close to the pot of water on the stove.

6.  Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the boiling water and put in 4 of the pasta sheets.  Cook for a minute, then lift the pasta out of the water with tongs and place it in the ice water.  Swish the pasta sheets in the water, then lay them flat on dry towels.  Repeat with the remaining 4 pasta sheets.

7.  Preheat the oven to 425° on the regular bake setting.

8.  Coat the bottom of a 8” X 11 1/2” rectangular baking pan with some béchamel, then mix the rest with the Bolognese sauce and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Place a sheet of pasta on the bottom of the pan, trimming any excess so it fits.  Spread a thin coating of the filling over the pasta sheet, then cover with another sheet of pasta.  Continue until you have 7 layers of pasta and filling, saving a little filling to cover the top layer.  Do not worry if the sheets of pasta do not fit perfectly; it’s all right to patch as necessary.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top and dot with the butter.

9.  Bake until the top has lightly browned, about 25 minutes.  Take the lasagne out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: The lasagne can be assembled completely up to a day in advance and kept, well wrapped, in the refrigerator.  Take it out of the refrigerator I hour before baking.  It will also keep in the refrigerator after it is baked, for up to 2 days.

When one thinks of a sauce for pasta, most people think of the classic Bolognese.  It is the quintessential comfort food, and one of our family’s favorites.  Although true Bolognese is time consuming to make, it freezes well so we often make large batches that we divide into meal-sized containers that can be ready anytime.

Classic Bolognese is one of those sauces with many versions, and most Italian cooks believe that theirs is the only truly authentic preparation.   Most food historians agree that the sauce was created in the city from which it is named, Bologna, the capital of the region where my husband’s family is from.  People from that area are so serious about “their” recipe that they have trademarked the name and made January 17^th “Ragù alla Bolognese” day.  The Accademia Italiana della Cucina registered their recipe for the sauce in 1982 as the one authentic version.  It organized an international Bolognese day in 2010 during which 450 chefs cooked the sauce; however, true to Italian custom, most used their own “authentic” recipes and not the trademarked registered one.

The first Italian immigrants to the United States hoped to find a land of milk and honey with streets paved of gold.  In the late 1800’s southern Italy was very poor and the American railroad barons, realizing that Southern Italians could be a source of labor, produced films showing a picturesque America that was welcoming and where hard-working people could achieve great wealth.  Of course, the reality was a bit different.  The Italians who moved to the US were lucky to find back braking labor and slave wages.  In addition, they were considered the lowest of the low in the communities they moved into.  As it was in Italy, their cuisine was “la cucina povera” the food of poverty and included little meat.  However, as years went by and through hard work and perseverance, many children of those first Italian immigrants were able to succeed.  They craved the dishes of the wealthy Italians that their parents had told them about.  However, in most cases, neither they nor their parents had ever experienced the lightness of true lasagna or the delicacy of a risotto.  The Italian American community had to create their own variations of the dishes and since, in the US, bigger is better they came up with the gigantic meatball on a dish of spaghetti.  Something that is not seen in Italy.  So American Italian cuisine developed and should be celebrated as its own creation. Baked Ziti, deep-dish pizza, and Italian dressing are only a few of the recipes in the vast repertoire. Bolognese sauce isn’t one of them.

Meat ragu in America tends to be very heavy and the pasta almost drowns in the sauce.  In classic Bolognese, the sauce and the pasta are in symbiosis and enhance each other.  This is one of those sauces that is best with homemade egg pasta, and is a delicacy that, in my family, we could eat weekly.

Bolognese Meat Sauce

(From How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan)

Preparation time:  25 minutes

Total time from start to finish:  3 1/2 hours

Makes enough for 1 pound dried pasta, or 3 eggs of  homemade pasta

1/2 small yellow onion

1 small carrot

1 stalk celery

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

12 ounces ground beef chuck

salt

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup whole milk

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes with their juice

1. Peel and finely chop the onion.  Peel the carrot and celery and cut into 1/4” dice to get 1/4 cup each.  Put the onion, carrot, celery, butter, and olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pot and place over medium high heat.  Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon.  Season with salt and continue stirring until the meat has lost its raw red color.

3. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has almost completely evaporated.  Add the milk and the nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk has mostly evaporated.

4. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot.  Season with salt.  Once the tomatoes have started bubbling, turn the heat down very low so that the sauce is barely simmering.  Cook uncovered for 3 hours stirring occasionally. If all the liquid evaporates before the cooking time is up, add 1/2 cup of water as needed.  After 3 hours, make sure all the liquid has evaporated before you remove the sauce from the heat.

Note: You can prepare the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it for 2-3 days or freeze it up to 2 months.

In the Italian region where our family is from, Emilia-Romagna, a traditional New Year’s dish is tortellini or cappelletti: small filled pasta that is shaped, according to some, like a bishop’s hat.  Cappelletti means “little hats”, and New Year’s, capo d’anno, is the hat or head of the year, so it is an appropriate pairing.  They are at their best in a homemade meat broth but they are also delicious served with a cream sauce.  However you choose to enjoy them, they are a delicacy to look forward to all year long.

According to one legend, the origin of a tortellino’s distinctive shape, occurred when the infamous femme fatale, the beautiful Lucrezia Borgia, illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI, was traveling through Emilia-Romagna and stopped at an inn to rest for the night.  The innkeeper was so enthralled by her beauty that he couldn’t resist peeking through the keyhole to her room to watch her undress.  All he could see was her bellybutton, but he found it so beautiful that he was inspired to create a filled pasta in its shape, and the tortellino was born.

Like most Italian pasta shapes, the name changes depending on where in Italy you are.  In the Romagna, section of Emilia-Romagna, on the Adriatic coast, they are called cappelletti and are made with a round piece of pasta.  In Bologna, about 50 miles inland, they are called tortellini and are made with a square piece of pasta.  Ironically, it is tortellini, with their pointed shape that resemble a bishop’s hat, while the rounded cappelletti resemble a belly button.  Although now both are usually filled with a meat stuffing, originally, cappelletti had a meatless cheese filling.  Pellegrino Artusi, a native Romagnolo and author of the famous 1891 cookbook, La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangiare Bene, once wrote that the original cappelletto emigrated to Bologna and returned “contaminated” with meat as a tortellino.

They are fun to make, and our children, of course, always assist. We’ve also discovered that they make a lovely ring on one of our children’s fingers!   Somehow, there never seem to be many leftovers especially when our kids regularly have three portions!

The recipe in this blog is for the filling.  If you’ve never made pasta dough, here is a link to Giuliano’s step by step pasta making video and you can find the detailed recipe  here.

We hope that you enjoyed your holiday and we wish you a delicious and joyous New Year!  Buon Anno and auguri from the Hazan family.

Tortellini/Cappelletti

From HOW TO COOK ITALIAN, Giuliano Hazan

Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as part of a multicourse Italian meal.

Egg pasta of Emilia Romagna (see How to cook Italian pages 170-176), made with 2 eggs and 11/2 cups flour

2 ounces lean boneless pork loin

3 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 ounces mortadella

3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigaiano-Reggiano

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1. Cut the pork loin and the chicken breast into 1/2” chunks.  Put the butter and the vegetable oil in a small skillet and place over medium heat.  Add the pork cubes and cook, turning as needed, until cooked through, 2-3 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to lift the meat out of the pan and set it aside on a plate.  Put the chicken cubes in the pan and cook, turning as needed, until cooked through, 1-2 minutes.  Use the slotted spoon to remove them from the pan and set aside with the pork.  Season the pork and chicken with salt and pepper

2. Coarsely chop the mortadella and put it with the pork and chicken in a food processor.  Chop to a fine consistency, but do not purée.  Transfer to a medium bowl and add the ricotta, egg yolk, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and nutmeg.  Mix thoroughly, until all the ingredients are well amalgamated.  Taste and season with salt if needed; set aside.

4. Roll out the pasta dough.  Cut the sheets into 1 1/2″ squares.  Put just over 1/4 teaspoon of the stuffing in the center of each square.  Fold the pasta square in half forming a triangle then wrap the 2 opposite points around the tip of your index finger forming the shape of a bishop’s hat.  Pinch the ends together to seal.  As you make them, set the tortellini on a clean dry cloth. Continue the process until all the pasta and/or the stuffing is used up.

Note: Do not refrigerate and plan on using the tortellini within 2-3 hours.  Otherwise, cook them partially, about 1 minute, then toss with some vegetable oil, cool, and store in zip lock bags in the refrigerator (do not freeze).

Egg Pasta of Emilia Romagna / Pasta all’Uovo

From How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan

A young Giuliano making pasta in Italy

Making pasta dough by hand is simple.  Do not be discouraged by the length of my instructions.  I have tried to describe as clearly as possible the method.  With a little practice it will easily become second nature and you will have finished dough in less than 15 minutes.  Rolling the dough out by hand with a rolling pin undoubtedly makes better pasta than using a machine with rollers, however it is a skill that is a bit harder to master.  Fortunately, machine rolled pasta is almost as good as hand rolled and certainly far superior to store bought.  If you must buy egg pasta use the dried egg noodles in boxes.  Avoid the so-called “fresh pasta” in the refrigerated case.  Pasta cooked while still fresh is not superior to pasta that dried completely. In fact, pasta that is not allowed to dry spoils unless some kind of preservative is used, which is why you should avoid commercial “fresh pasta.”

The region in Italy that is best known for egg pasta is Emilia Romagna, of which Bologna is the capital.  There are other regions that have an egg pasta tradition and each makes it differently.  In Tuscany a little olive oil and salt is often added to the dough.  In Liguria they use fewer eggs and add water.  In Piedmont and the Veneto, a very rich pasta is made using predominantly egg yolks and very few whites.  The egg pasta from Emilia Romagna is made simply with whole eggs and flour.  My family is from Emilia Romagna, so perhaps I am biased, but I find this egg pasta the most satisfying.

It is impossible to give a precise measurement for the amount of flour needed.  Depending on the size of the eggs, the humidity, and even the temperature in the room, you may need more or less.  In making pasta it is important to avoid cold so use room temperature eggs.  Also, do not work on a naturally cold surface such as marble or stainless steel.  Wood is best; otherwise Corian or linoleum will work.  If you do not make perfect pasta dough the first time don’t be discouraged.  All you need is a little practice.  Just have some store-bought pasta on hand for dinner the first time around!

Homemade Egg Pasta Recipe

Preparation time:  20 minutes

Total time from start to finish:  approximately 45 minutes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

3 eggs

1.  Pour the flour in a mound in the center of your work counter.  With your fingers make a well.  When your fingers reach the counter, push the sides out to make a well in which the eggs will fit comfortably.  To avoid the possibility that the eggs will overflow, it is better to make the well a little wider than necessary than too small.

2.  Break the eggs into the center of the well.  Using a fork, beat the eggs as if you were making scrambled eggs until the yolks and the whites are thoroughly blended together.  Use the fork to mix a little flour into the eggs by taking it from the bottom of the inside walls of the well.  Continue until the mixture thickens enough to cling to the fork when you lift it into the air.  Use your fingers to squeeze the dough attached to the fork back into the well and set the fork aside.  Push about 1/4 cup of flour to the side, then use your hands to bring the rest into the center of the well.  Mix together with your hands to begin forming a dough.  If the dough feels sticky when you plunge a finger into the it add a little more flour.  The dough should feel moist but not sticky.  Wrap the dough in plastic, because the surface of the dough can begin to dry out in as little as a minute, while you scrape off any bits of dough that have stuck to the counter.  Reserve any remaining flour off to the side.

3.  Unwrap the dough and begin kneading it.  Think of stretching the dough rather than compressing it by using the heel of your palm and pushing away from you.  Knead until the dough feels homogeneous and smooth.  If it seems to stick to your hand or to the counter, add a little more flour.  On the other hand, if it feels too hard to knead, you may have added too much flour.  Try wetting your hands and kneading the moisture in.  If that does not seem to help, it’s probably easier and faster to start over.  I you don’t need to add any more flour while kneading, it should only take 5-6 minutes.  Adding flour during the kneading process may increase the time since the further along you are, the longer it takes for the flour to get incorporated.  When you have kneaded the dough sufficiently, wrap it in plastic again and let it rest for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.  Never refrigerate or freeze pasta dough.  As the dough rests, the gluten in the flour will relax, making it much easier roll the dough.

4.  Unwrap the pasta dough and knead it a few times to incorporate the moisture that inevitably rises to the surface.  The surface of the dough at this point should feel silky smooth (a baby’s bottom is what it is traditionally compared to).

5.  Cut the dough in as many pieces as you used eggs, in this case three.  Wrap two of the pieces in the plastic wrap.  Flatten the remaining piece of dough as best you can with your hands then put it through the rollers of the machine set at the widest setting.  Fold the dough in three, and put it through the rollers again with the folds perpendicular to the rollers.  Fold the dough in half and put it through one more time, again with the folds perpendicular to the rollers.  Lay the dough on a towel and repeat the procedure with the other two pieces.

6.  When all the pieces have been through the machine at the widest setting, adjust the rollers down one notch and put each piece of dough through once.  Repeat, going down one notch at time, until you reach the next to last setting.  Cut each sheet of pasta in half then put each piece through the machine at the thinnest setting.

7.  If making noodles, let the pasta dry on a cloth until it is leathery in consistency, dry enough that noodles will not stick together when cut, but still pliable enough that it won’t crack, anywhere between 5-25 minutes depending on the temperature and humidity in the room.  To cut pasta using the machine, cut the pasta sheets into lengths approximately 12”-15” long.  Put each piece through the desired cutting attachment of the pasta machine.  Loosely fold the noodles into nests.  Once the noodles are completely dry, they will be easier to pick up.  If cutting the pasta by hand, roll the dough loosely and use a chef’s knife or cleaver to cut the pasta into noodles of the desired width.  After every 5 or 6 cuts, unravel the noodles then loosely fold them into nests.

To make filled pasta, you need to keep the pasta moist to be able to seal it.  Work on just a portion of the sheet of pasta at a time and cover the rest with plastic so it won’t dry out.  If using the machine, roll out only one piece while keeping the rest of the dough wrapped in plastic.  Cut the pasta sheet in half before putting it through the rollers the last time.  For filled pasta squares, such as tortelloni or tortelli, lay the pasta flat on a cutting board.  Place 1 tablespoon dollops of filling at 1″ intervals along the bottom half of the pasta sheet.  Fold the top half of the pasta sheet over the stuffing and gently press down with your fingers in between each dollop to squeeze out excess air.  Use a pastry cutting wheel to cut along the bottom edge, the sides, and in between each dollop of stuffing forming approximately 1 1/2” squares.  The edges will be sealed by the cutting action of the pastry wheel.  Place the

filled pasta on a dry cloth without overlapping.  Continue the process until all the pasta and/or the stuffing is used up.

6.  Noodles may be cooked right away or dried and stored in a cool dry place (not the refrigerator) almost indefinitely. Noodles that are cooked right away will be done by the time the water comes back to a boil.  Dried noodles will be done in about 3 minutes.  Filled pasta needs to be cooked within a couple of hours or the pasta that is in contact with the stuffing will get too wet and eventually dissolve.  It is best when served as soon as it is cooked but it is possible to make it up to 2 days ahead, if necessary.  Cook it partially, about 1 minute, then toss with some vegetable oil, cool, and store in zip lock bags in the refrigerator (do not freeze).  When ready to serve, drop into salted boiling water, and cook until done, 1-2 minutes.

Green pasta variation: Cook 8 ounces frozen spinach or 12 ounces fresh spinach in salted boiling water until tender.  Drain and set aside to cool.  Using your hands, squeeze out as much water as possible.  Chop finely by hand or in a food processor.  Proceed as for Egg Pasta of Emilia Romagna, adding the spinach to the eggs and an extra 1/2 cup of flour.

Giuliano has an uncanny ability to avoid cold or stormy weather in Florida.  You can be assured that anytime there is a hurricane warning for Southwest Florida he will be on a work trip far away.  This past week, when we had a cold snap, he was in Texas.  Fortunately, he left behind his recipes.  Including this Leek and Chickpea soup recipe that is great for inclement weather.

The leeks give a soft, sweet taste to this hearty soup and the chickpeas add an earthy balance. The pancetta lends a savory flavor and becomes tender and succulent.  Gabriella, our oldest, picked out the pieces to eat them by themselves.  It is a perfect comfort soup, it takes less than an hour to make from start to finish, and most of the dish can be made ahead of time.  For those of us on the go, sometimes I feel like I went to graduate school to become a chauffeur for my kids, this makes an easy meal that will fill their bellies, while warming your heart.  OK… that was a bit too trite; however, it is nice to know that there is something easy to heat up that will be enjoyed by all.

Leek and Chickpea Pasta Soup

From How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan

Preparation time:  20 minutes

Total time from start to finish:  1 hour

Serves 4

3-4 medium leeks

2 ounces pancetta, sliced 1/4″ thick

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small clove garlic

Fresh sage leaves

Fresh rosemary

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups drained canned chick peas

5 cups homemade meat broth or 1/2 a beef and chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 5 cups water

6 ounces tubini pasta or another small pasta suitable for soup

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano

1.  Cut off the root end of the leeks and trim the tough dark green tops of the leaves.  Cut the leeks in half lengthwise (or in quarters if they are more than an inch thick), then slice them crosswise in chunks about 1/2 inch.  Place the cut leeks in a large bowl full of cold water, swishing them around to loosen any dirt that is clinging to them.

2.  Unravel the pancetta and cut into thin strips.  Put it with the olive oil in a soup pot and place over medium high heat.  Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta just begins to brown.

3.  While the pancetta is sautéing, finely chop the garlic and coarsely chop the fresh sage and rosemary to get 1 teaspoon of each.

4.  When the pancetta begins browning, add the garlic and herbs.  Stir for about 30 seconds, then lift the leeks from the bowl of water and add them to the pot.  Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.

5.  Add the chick peas and broth to the pot and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat so that the soup simmers, cover the pot, and cook for 30 minutes.

6.  Add the pasta to the pot and cook until the pasta is done.  Serve at once, sprinkling some grated pecorino Romano on top of each serving.

Note: You can make this soup up to 2 days in advance.  Do not cook the pasta in it until you are ready to serve.

Photo by Joseph De Leo

Radicchio, a type of chicory, is a flavorful and versatile fall vegetable.  Most people are familiar with the round red radicchio known as Rosa di Chioggia, but there are many other kinds of radicchio, ranging in flavor from mild to robust.  Radicchio originates in the Veneto region of Italy, where many of the towns are known for their particular kind.

There is the variegated radicchio, whose  large leaves are green with red flecks from Castelfranco; the elongated red radicchio di Treviso, which resembles a small romaine lettuce; and our families’ favorite, the beautiful and deliciously nutty, almost sweet, tardivo di Treviso, whose narrow leaves curl at the top.  There are also some green leafy radicchios that add a wonderful mildly bitter flavor to salads.

Fall is one of my favorite times of year to visit Italy’s vegetable markets.  Our students are amazed by the bounty and variety as we lead them through the crowded pathways of the Padua market.   We point out how radicchio is not only used in salads, but also cooked in a variety of dishes

One of our favorite methods is to make a pasta sauce with radicchio.  When it is cooked, radicchio provides a rich deep flavor to a pasta sauce, and loses some of its bitter flavor.  This is a great fall dish that is perfect before a pan-roasted meat as part of a multi-course meal. We often eat by itself,  followed by a salad.

Penne with Radicchio

From Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan

Serves 4 people

1/2 large sweet yellow onion

3 tablespoons butter

3 ounces pancetta, sliced 1/8” thick

1 pound radicchio

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3-4 sprigs flat leaf Italian parsley

1 pound penne (fusilli would also be good here)

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1.  Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.

2.  Peel the onion and finely chop it.  Put the butter inn a 12” skillet and place over medium high heat.  When the butter begins to melt, add the onion and sauté until the onion turns to a rich golden color, about 5 minutes.

3.  While the onion is sautéing, cut the pancetta into narrow strips about 1” long.  Remove any bruised leaves from the radicchio, cut it in half lengthwise and cut off the bottom of the root.  Finely shred the radicchio.

4.  When the onion is done, add the pancetta and cook until it loses its raw color 1-2 minutes.  Add the radicchio and season with salt and pepper.  Add about 1/2 cup water, lower the heat to medium, and cover the pan.  Cook until the radicchio is very tender, about 20 minutes.  Check it periodically and add more water if the liquid evaporates before the radicchio is tender.

5.  While the radicchio is cooking, finely chop enough parsley to measure about 1 tablespoon.

6.  After the radicchio has been cooking for at least 15 minutes, add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, put in the penne, and stir well.  Cook until al dente.

7.  When the radicchio is tender, uncover the pan, raise the heat and let any remaining moisture evaporate.  Add the cream and parsley and cook until the cream has thickened and reduced by about one third.

8.  When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve at once.

broccoflower

When asked about her favorite food, our six-year-old daughter, Michela, invariably names broccoli. The broccoli she’s so fond of is the Romanesco variety. Although it’s fairly new to suburban supermarkets in the United States, Romanesco broccoli has been known in Italy since the 16th century. Grown in the region of Lazio, of which Rome is the capital (hence the name), it is a popular winter vegetable. It’s also used in landscaping—its pointed florets arrange themselves in some amazing fractal shapes. But we buy it because its delicate flavor is so delicious. Often we will simply sauté it and serve it like cauliflower, at room temperature, drizzled with some very good olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Another favorite preparation of the Hazan family is a  sauce of Romanesco broccoli served on pasta. It’s so toothsome that Michela sometimes eats the broccoli and leaves the pasta behind.

Photo by Joseph De Leo

Fusilli with Broccoflower

From Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan

Broccoflower has a wonderful sweet nutty flavor that makes a delicious pasta sauce but it’s important to season it aggressively in order for its flavor to come through and to properly season the pasta..

1. Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
2. Remove the leaves around the broccoflower and cut off the root. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Grate the pecorino cheese.
3. When the water comes to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt and add the broccoflower. Cook until tender, 10-12 minutes, then remove it from the boiling water and transfer to a cutting board. Keep the pot of boiling water over high heat. Chop the cooked broccoflower into ?-inch chunks.
4. Add the fusilli to the boiling water and stir well. Cook until al dente.
5. While the pasta is cooking, put the chopped garlic, hot red pepper flakes, and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet and place over medium high heat. When the garlic is sizzling, add the chopped broccoflower, season generously with salt, and sauté over medium heat, stirring periodically, until the pasta is done. If the broccoflower begins to stick on the bottom of the skillet add a little bit of the boiling pasta water.
6. When the fusilli are al dente, drain well, toss with the sauce, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil, and the grated pecorino cheese, and serve at once.

Zucca barucca, zucca barucca, sang our youngest daughter over and over again when first heard the name. Zucca barucca (or for those that are scientifically inclined, cucurbita maxima) is a large squash with orange meat that looks like a flattened pumpkin but tastes as rich and sweet as butternut squash. It is common to find it in the fall markets of the Veneto region of Italy. Fall and winter are wonderful times for squash, and to us, it is a comfort food.

Squash didn’t actually play a large part in Italian cuisine until the 20th century. It was considered common food and not fit for the “noble” classes. Boy, were those nobles missing something. Some say barucca is a play on the Italian word verruca, which means wart, while others say it is from the Hebrew word baruch, meaning holy. Personally, we like that Italians would name zucca barruca the holy squash. Zucca barucca is not yet available in the States, but butternut squash works just as beautifully in this succulent sauce for fusilli.

Fusilli with Butternut Squash

From Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan

Photo by Joseph De leo

1/2 medium yellow onion

3 tablespoons butter
2 ounces pancetta, sliced 1/8” thick
1 3/4 pounds butternut squash (approximately)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces medium aged pecorino cheese (such as Crosta Rossa from Pienza)
1 pound fusilli

1. Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion. Put it with the butter in a 12” skillet and place over medium heat. Sauté until the onion turns to a rich golden color, about 5 minutes.
3. While the onion is sautéing, cut the pancetta into narrow strips about 1 inch long. Remove the ends of the butternut squash and peel it down to the orange flesh, taking care to remove all the green parts. Cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut into ?-inch dice. You should end up with approximately 1 1/2 pounds or 4 cups of diced squash.
4. When the onion is ready, add the pancetta and sauté until it is lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Add the squash and season with salt and pepper. Stir well, then add 1 cup water and cover the pan. Cook until the squash is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. When the squash is almost ready, add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, add the fusilli, and stir well. Cook until al dente.
6. While the pasta is cooking, grate the pecorino cheese using the medium-sized holes of the grater. When the pasta is almost ready, mash the squash in the pan with a wooden spoon and mix in 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
7. When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce and grated cheese, and serve at once.

Joseph De Leo

Sant’Erasmo, a small island in Italy’s Venetian lagoon, is known by the locals as the “vegetable garden of Venice.” Thanks to the unique characteristics of its sand-and-clay soil, the prized produce cultivated there is particularly toothsome. From Sant’Erasmo come some of the most extraordinary intensely flavored sweet peppers that we have ever tasted. There is only a small window of opportunity in which they are available, and we were lucky enough to find them one year when we were conducting a cooking course in Verona. We used them for our risotto class, where the intensely flavorful peppers enhanced the creamy rice dish. You don’t need to take a flight to Venice, however, to enjoy this pasta sauce, spiked with red and yellow bell peppers and a luscious helping of butter. Whether you grow your own peppers or get them from your local farmers’ market, this dish will be a delicious remembrance of summer. It is one of our daughter Gabriella’s favorites, and we often make a whole meal of it followed by a salad.

Our students have asked if peeling the peppers really makes a difference. The answer is yes: the skin of even a sweet red pepper is bitter, not to mention tough. Without their skin, the peppers will be sweeter and more richly flavored. Here’s an easy way to peel peppers if you haven’t done it before.

6 ounces fresh baby spinach

1/2 medium yellow onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound penne
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated whole nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
2. Put about one inch of water in a pot large enough to cook the spinach. Place it over high heat. When the water boils, add a teaspoon salt and the spinach. Cook until the spinach is quite tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and squeeze out as much water as possible by pressing on the spinach with a spoon. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and finely chop it.
3. While the spinach is cooking, peel the onion and finely chop it. Put the butter in a 12-inch skillet, add the onion, and place over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until it turns a rich golden color, about 5 minutes.
4. When the water for the pasta is boiling, add about 2 tablespoons salt, add the penne, and stir well. Cook until al dente.
5. When the onion is ready, add the spinach and sauté, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the ricotta, cream, and nutmeg, and cook until the ricotta has heated through and the cream is reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and season with pepper, then remove from the heat.
6. When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve at once.

Photo by Joseph De Leo

Sweet peas are prized in many parts of Italy, but many think that the sweetest come from Peseggia, a town north of Venice.  The peas are so tender that even the princess in the Princess and Pea fairy tale would have felt comfortable.  In May and June the town holds a Sagra dei Bisi, a festival of peas.  During the festival people dress in period costumes, and there are all kinds of performances.  Most importantly, there are numerous booths serving the exquisitely sweet peas prepared in a variety of ways.

A classic preparation is Risi e Bisi, a soup of rice and peas.   Served to the Venetian Doge during one of the most important festivals of the year, the Sensa, Risi e Bisi embodies the festival as a marriage of land and sea.  The peas are islands that float in the broth that symbolizes the Venetian lagoon.

At their peak, peas explode with flavor in your mouth.  One of our favorite recipes comes from a restaurant in the Veneto named Il Pompiere.  The chef/owner Marco makes an egg pasta dish that is infused with the luscious pea flavor, but only when the peas from Peseggia are in season.  He was kind enough to share his secret with me. It’s actually very simple. Once the peas are tender, half are pureed until creamy and mixed back into the sauce. When the pasta is tossed with the sauce it absorbs all that delicious pea flavor, which is why I like using the wider tagliatelle noodles. Although it is possible to make this dish with frozen peas, the sweet taste of fresh peas is so wonderful that it is well worth the time it takes to shell them.

Tagliatelle with Peas

From Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan

One of my favorite restaurants in Verona is Il Pompiere. They make a pasta dish when peas are in season that is thoroughly

“There are few ways to create happiness more efficiently than by cooking for yourself and others.” – Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat Pray Love

Photo by Giuliano Hazan

If you close your eyes while you are eating this, you can imagine yourself in Rome, perhaps sitting across the table from Julia Roberts

The origin of this typical Roman pasta dish is as recent as the Second World War.  One story, which seems more the product of a fertile imagination than fact, tells of how American soldiers would go into Roman trattorie and order bacon and eggs with a side of pasta.  They were served a sunny side up egg and pancetta (or more likely guanciale, cured pork jowl) and a plate of unseasoned spaghetti.  When they mixed the two, Spaghetti alla Carbonara was born.  Another story says that it was invented in a small town in southern Italy called Carbonia, by a chef who later moved to Rome and named the dish after his hometown.  Some people simply say it’s called “Carbonara” because the generous grindings of pepper look like coal dust (carbone means coal in Italian).  In any case, it is a luscious dish, whose creaminess comes from the raw eggs’ contact with the hot pasta rather than cream.  I like to use a combination of whole eggs and yolks, which I find makes the dish both richer and creamier.   We were lucky enough to get our hands on some guanciale recently, that my parents had received from the Salumeria Biellese and shared with us, and last night I used it to make Spaghetti alla Carbonara just as it is traditionally prepared in Rome.  When you can’t get guanciale, the dish is also quite delicious with pancetta, as in the recipe below.

Watch me make Spaghetti alla Carbonara on Daytime!

Photo by Giuliano Hazan

This past week has been an exciting one for our family.  Our oldest daughter, Gabriella, came home from a month long camp experience.  Although she had written us letters and the camp had uploaded pictures, it felt as if she had been gone for months and we were thrilled to have her back

In true Hazan tradition, the first thing she wanted upon coming home was a good meal.  “They even ruined salad,” she had bemoaned in one of her letters. I hate to think what she subsisted on.

So, what did Marcella Hazan’s granddaughter want for her first meal?  Pasta of course!  Not just any pasta, it had to be homemade egg pasta that she would help make.

Photo by Lael Hazan

In her honor, Giuliano created fabulous pappardelle with peppers and sausage.  The sauce was savory and sweet without being cloying.

As he always does, Giuliano peeled the peppers that he put into the sauce.  The skin of the pepper is harsh but when it is peeled, the pepper’s sweet flavor comes through.  I’ve also never understood why Italian sausage in America always has fennel in it.  For this recipe, and most Hazan recipes, fennel won’t work, so ask your grocer for plain sausage.

This sauce is quick to make and is great comfort food.  Gabriella perked right up and decided her father should teach cooking lessons at the camp because she wants to go again next year!

Photo by Lael Hazan

Pappardelle with Sausage and Peppers

© By Giuliano Hazan

2 yellow bell peppers

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

½ small sweet yellow onion

½ pound plain, sweet sausage

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes with their juice

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1.  Peel the peppers, remove the core and seeds, and cut into 1-inch squares.

2.  Peel and finely chop the onion.  Put it with the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet and place over medium high heat.  Sauté until the onion turns to a rich golden color, about 5 minutes.  Add the sausage, breaking it up into small chunks with a wooden spoon.  Once the sausage is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes, add the peppers, season lightly with salt, and continue cooking until they are lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes.

3.  Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan.  Season with salt and continue cooking until the tomatoes are no longer watery, 15 to 20 minutes.

4.  Cook the pasta and toss with sauce along with the butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

When the summer heat becomes unbearable, here is a fragrant, fresh pasta dish.  It’s a Neapolitan classic and is an example of Italy’s tradition of delicious uncooked summer sauces.  Spaghetti alla Checca, one of our favorites, is a barely scalded medley of fresh tomatoes and herbs.  The flavor evokes images of the Amalfi coast, where, in season, roadside stands sell sandwiches of fresh San Marzano tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella, basil and olive oil.

This is a sauce for which you either harvest your own well loved tomatoes or purchase  them from a local farmers market.  No watery, flavorless tomatoes will do here.

For the ultimate rendition, use very well drained buffalo mozzarella, which adds a creamy richness to this refreshing dish.

Watch a video of Giuliano Hazan preparing Spaghetti alla Checca on the TODAY show.

Giuliano was named Cooking Teacher of the Year in 2007 be the International Association of Culinary Professionals.  Recently, we have opened our home to intimate hands on interactive classes.  If you are in the area we would love to have you join us, our next class in June 26th.

Spaghetti with Raw Tomatoes, Herbs and Mozzarella

(From Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan)

Serves 4 people

2 pounds fresh plum (or Roma) tomatoes

8 ounces fresh whole milk mozzarella

Salt

1 pound spaghetti

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6-8 fresh basil leaves

4-5 sprigs fresh oregano

3-4 springs fresh thyme

Freshly ground black pepper

1.  Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.

2.  Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and cut into small 1/4” dice. Put the tomatoes in the serving bowl you’ll be serving the pasta in.

3.  Add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, put in the spaghetti, and stir until all the strands are submerged.  Cook until very al dente (about 30 seconds less than you normally would).

4.  While the pasta is cooking, put the olive oil in a small saucepan and place over medium heat.  Heat until the oil begins to smoke then remove from the heat.

5.  While the oil is heating, cut the mozzarella into small 1/4” dice.  Coarsely chop the basil.  Chop enough oregano to a medium fine consistency to measure about 4 teaspoons.  Finely chop enough thyme to measure about 1 teaspoon. Add the herbs to the bowl with the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper.   When the oil is hot, pour it into the bowl and mix thoroughly.

6.  When the pasta is done, drain well, and toss it with the ingredients in the serving bowl. Add the mozzarella, toss again, then cover the bowl and let stand for about a minute to allow the cheese to melt a bit.  Uncover the bowl, toss one last time, and serve at once.

Photo by Joseph De Leo

One of my favorite pasta dishes is tortelloni (the square ones, Romagna style) filled with Swiss chard and ricotta.  My fondness for the dish was evident from the time I was a small boy and my grandmother made them for me while my parents were away.  After polishing off a generous adult portion, I proceeded to collapse on the table, terrifying my grandmother who promptly called the doctor.  After examining me, the doctor pronounced me “happy and asleep”.

It seems like we often end up with more filling than we have pasta for and one time we decided to have the extra filling as a pasta sauce.  It was delicious!  So much so, that I adapted the filling to make a spinach and ricotta sauce for penne that has become a family favorite.

Watch this video for a tip on how to easily finely chop an onion, with little or no tears!

Penne with Spinach and Ricotta

(From Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan)

Serves 4 people

Salt

6 ounces fresh baby spinach

1/2 medium yellow onion

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup whole milk ricotta

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated whole nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 pound penne

1.  Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.

2.  Put about one inch of water in a pot large enough to cook the spinach in.  Place it over high heat.  When the water boils, add a teaspoon of salt and put in the spinach. Cook until the spinach is quite tender, 5-6 minutes.  Drain in a colander and squeeze out as much water as possible by pressing on the spinach with a spoon.  Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and finely chop it.

3.  While the spinach is cooking, peel the onion and finely chop it.  Put it with the butter in a 10” skillet and place over medium high heat.  Sauté the onion until it turns to a rich golden color, about 5 minutes.

4.  When the pasta water is boiling, add about 2 tablespoons salt, put in the penne, and stir well.  Cook until al dente.

5.  When the onion is ready, add the spinach and sauté, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.  Add the ricotta, cream and nutmeg, and cook until the ricotta has heated through and the cream is reduced, 2-3 minutes.  Taste and adjust for salt and season with pepper, then remove from the heat.

6.  When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve at once.